beegeesfandomcom-20200214-history
Massachusetts
"Massachusetts" is a song by the English rock band Bee Gees in 1967. Written by Barry, Robin & Maurice Gibb. Robin Gibb sang lead on this song and it would become one of his staple songs to perform during concerts. It later appeared on their 1968 album, Horizontal. It was their first Number 1 hit in Australia and the UK and eventually became one of the best-selling singles of all time, selling over 5 million copies worldwide. When the Bee Gees wrote the song, they had never been to Massachusetts.Show 49 - The British are Coming! The British are Coming!: With an emphasis on Donovan, the Bee Gees and the Who. [Part 6 : UNT Digital Library] Writing The song was written in the Regis Hotel, New York City during a tour of the United States. The song was intended as an antithesis to flower power anthems of the time such as Let's Go to San Francisco and San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair) in that the protagonist had been to San Francisco to join the hippies but was now homesick. The idea of the lights having gone out in Massachusetts was to suggest that everyone had gone to San Francisco. There are two different memories, Robin remembers us doing it in a boat going around New York. And I remember us checking in at the St. Regis with Robert, going to the suite, and while the bags were being brought in we were so high on being in New York, that's how 'Massachusetts' began. I think we were strumming basically the whole thing, and then I think we went on a boat 'round New York. I don't know if we finished it, but I think that's where the memories collide. Everybody wrote it. All three of us were there when the song was born. - Barry Gibb The song was originally intended for The Seekers, during a chance meeting in London between the Seekers lead singer Judith Durham and Maurice Gibb, Durham learned that "Massachusetts" was originally intended to fulfill The Bee Gees' dream of becoming an early hit for her group. Upon arriving in London from Australia (following in the path of the Seekers who had arrived several years earlier) the Bee Gees had been unsuccessful in getting the song to the group, so they recorded it themselves. (But in 2003, The Seekers finally performed this song as a tribute to Maurice following his death earlier that year). The Bee Gees had never actually been to Massachusetts when they recorded this; just liked the sound of the name.Massachusetts Songfacts Robin Gibb explained about "Massachusetts" in 1000 UK #1 Hits by Jon Kutner and Spencer Leigh: "We have never been there but we loved the word and there is always something magic about American place names. It only works with British names if you do it as a folk song. Roger Whittaker did that with Durham Town." Robin Gibb also recalled to The Mail on Sunday on November 1, 2009: "This was a bittersweet victory. The day it went to number one it was Bonfire Night and I was in the Hither Green rail crash in Lewisham. Forty-nine people died and it was one of Britain's worst rail disasters. Luckily I didn't get injured. I remember sitting at the side of the carriage, watching the rain pour down, fireworks go off and blue lights of the ambulances whirring. It was like something out of a Spielberg film. I thought, at least there is one consolation, we have our first UK number one." Recording and release Barry feels Bill Shepherd's orchestral score is perhaps the arranger's finest: "We never expected him to do that. Sometimes we would sing what we would imagine the strings doing. But in this case he did that himself, and I thought it was great. 'Massachusetts' was our first #1 in England". Before the release of this song, Australians Colin Petersen and Vince Melouney were facing deportation, and it appeared that they might be leaving the band sooner than later. On August 12, British fans staged a protest on behalf of the musicians at the cottage of Prime Minister Harold Wilson. Three days later Bee Gees fan Deirdre Meehan chained and handcuffed herself to Buckingham Palace to protest the possible deportation. Ultimately, the musicians were allowed to stay, and the issue made nary a dent in the band's hectic schedule. When it was released in England, the title was "(The Lights Went Out in) Massachusetts" but was changed later, Atco Records delayed it to release "Holiday". The song has a minor claim to fame in the history of British radio. While many people know "Flowers in the Rain" by The Move was the first record played on BBC Radio 1, "Massachusetts" was the second.source: BBC Radio 1 press office This single is the first number-one hit single by a non-Japanese artist on Japan's official hit chart, Oricon. "Massachusetts" was released as a single in 19 September, and on the next day (20 September), it entered the UK charts. The song reached #11 in the United States. B-side The song's b-side was a non album track, Barker of the UFO written by Barry alone - the first song of their international career to credit only one writer. This track is available on the deluxe edition of Horizontal plus the box set Tales From the Brothers Gibb. Personnel *Robin Gibb – lead vocal *Barry Gibb – guitar, backing vocals *Maurice Gibb – bass, piano, mellotron, backing vocals *Vince Melouney – guitar *Colin Petersen – drums Chart performance Cover versions *Former Yugoslav band Siluete covered the song, in 1967. *Ed Ames recorded a version of this song on his album Who Will Answer?, in 1968. *Also in 1968, Hong Kong female singer Betty Chung (鍾玲玲) covered this song in Mandarin Chinese with Chinese lyrics written by Wei Yin (魏因) and given the title name of 我祝福他, appearing on her LP album 野火 (Wild Flame), and released by EMI Pathe Records. *Between 1972 and 1974, this song was covered by Singapore-based female singer Ervinna, backing music by The Charlie & His Boys, on her LP album Golden Hits of 20th Century Vol. 6 with White Cloud Record of Singapore. References